Gold rush for Europe

Aside from a handful of new world competitors, European athletes look set to grasp glory in the canoeing and kayaking.

German, Hungarian and Slovakian medal hopefuls will lead the gold rush.

BBC Sport marks your canoeing card with four international names to watch out for at the Athens Olympics.

BEN FOUHY

New Zealander Fouhy has proved a revelation since dedicating himself to the 1,000m kayak (K1) after switching from multisport (running, canoeing, cycling).

The 23-year-old began working with trainer Ian Ferguson, a winner of four Olympic gold medals, in 2001.

Just over a year later he won the world title in Atlanta, USA, and in 18 months under the tutelage of Ferguson he took 20 seconds off his personal best time.

His winning time of 3:27.375 at the 2003 World Cup event in Poland put him second in the all-time list behind Norway's Helmut Knut.

Fouhy, who has been paddling for eight years, was named New Zealand's Sportsman of the Year in 2004.

PETER & PAVOL HOCHSCHORNER

Peter and Pavol Hochschorner will be defending their C2 title

The 24-year-old twins carry the hopes of a nation as they are among Slovakia's leading contenders for Olympic gold.

They have an incomparable record in the C2 slalom, winning five consecutive World Cup crowns as well as the World Championships in 2002 and three European titles.

And the highlight of their careers came in Sydney when the brothers edged out defending champions Frank Adisson and Wilfrid Forgues of France to take gold.

Coached by their father, Peter, the Hochschorners will, along with national hero Michal Martikán, be the focus of Slovak attention in Athens.

But they were given a warning against over-confidence at last year's World Championships when they lost out to Germany's Markus Becker and Stefan Henze, eventually finishing third.

KATRIN WAGNER

The German has been one of the most outstanding paddlers in the world since bursting onto the scene with a junior world title in 1993.

A formidable force in singles, doubles and quads, she continues to be a medal threat in a number of events.

Olympic gold in the kayak doubles and quads in Sydney was a just reward for one of the sport's top names but, despite her talent, Wagner has often missed out on the major titles.

A succession of silver medals in World Championships leave the 26-year-old with something to prove, and she may need the help of a powerful German team to get back on top of the podium.

SZILVIA SZABO & KINGA BOTA

The Hungarian pair have dominated the doubles kayak events in recent years, taking a third successive 500m world title last year.

That victory followed wins in the three other major meetings of 2003 - Seville, Szeged and Duisburg - as they stamped their authority on the event.

Success in Athens is if paramount importance, though, for the pair who could manage only silver in 2000 behind Germans Birgit Fischer and Katrin Wagner.

Germany and Poland should provide the main opposition this time, but Szabo and Bota look ready to add to Hungary's proud Olympic record in the sport.